Casual chat
When they got home, it was almost midnight, as expected. The two quickly washed the vegetables. Qi Zui helped Wen Xubai chop the asparagus and prepare the ginger, then planned to leave the kitchen and hand over the "stage" to him…
Qi Zui stood by with his arms crossed for a while, watching Wen Xubai's clumsy cooking techniques. Sparks flew high into the sky, and the sound of oil sizzling was deafening. He was on tenterhooks the whole time, and finally watched helplessly as a bowl of dark "soup" mixed with a few specks of green was served.
Qi Zui was dumbfounded at first glance. He hesitated, picked up a spoon, stirred it, and said with difficulty, "Is this the soup you were talking about... something... something soup...?"
Wen Xubai hadn't expected this either. He had clearly controlled the heat perfectly and had carefully followed the recipe...
Seeing Wen Xubai's somber expression, Qi Zui quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Ahem... although... although it doesn't look very appetizing, you can't judge a book by its cover! I... I'll try it..."
As he spoke, Qi Zui scooped up a spoonful of soup, hesitated for a long time, and then suddenly put it into his mouth!
Next, Wen Xubai witnessed Qi Zui's face change from white to green, and then from green to red...
After swallowing with difficulty, Qi Qiang smiled and gave him a thumbs up, uttering two trembling words:
"good……"
Wen Xubai: "..."
He wasn't blind or stupid; he saw the other person's ferocious expression clearly.
How could this possibly look okay?
Wen Xubai lowered his head and pondered for a while, then suddenly said, "Don't eat it." He then picked up the soup bowl and poured it out.
Qi wanted to stop him, but the soup he had just drunk was so sticky that he couldn't even make a sound. He could only raise his "Erkang hand" in vain.
"I'll order another dish." Wen Xubai frowned as he walked back, put on his apron, and prepared to go back into the kitchen.
Seeing this, Qi Zui quickly stopped him. Still somewhat shaken by the soup earlier, he forced a smile and said, "It's getting late... if we keep going like this... we really won't be able to have dinner..."
He never imagined that his words might come true...
After saying that, she quickly took the apron off Wen Xubai and put it on herself. While tying a bow behind her back, she raised her chin at Wen Xubai, glanced at the sofa next to her, and said, "Go sit down for a while. The food will be ready soon."
After saying that, without waiting for Wen Xubai to refuse, Qi Zui bent down and walked into the kitchen.
With a gurgling sound of flowing water, Qi Zui swiftly and cleanly chopped the old hen he had just bought into eight pieces and threw them into the pot.
That "old hen" was the one Qi pointed at and laughed at when the two were at the market. He frantically gestured to Wen Xubai with his eyes, saying, "It looks like him." Then, after Wen Xubai stomped on his foot, Qi paid for it while jumping up and down.
I also bought a few eggs that were lying around and told him they were the mother hen's chicks, and that we couldn't separate them from their mother...
Of course, the final result was that he got kicked by Wen Xubai again.
The foot, which was originally swollen in only one foot, is now finally symmetrical.
Watching the chicken pieces tumbling in the oil, Wen Xubai leaned quietly against the refrigerator, arms crossed, watching as the chicken turned from fleshy red to soy sauce brown.
It has to be said, cooking really requires a lot of talent. Like Qi Zui, who can now seemingly stir-fry with just a few simple flips and instantly release the aroma of meat, while he had just spent ages "struggling" in the kitchen and could barely manage to cook asparagus...
"Be careful, don't get splashed with oil." Qi Zui noticed Wen Xubai watching from the side, but didn't say anything to shoo him away. He just reminded him as he put a handful of freshly cut potato chunks into the pot.
Upon hearing this, Wen Xubai did not refute, but obediently took a step back, and then glanced at Qi Zui, who was showing a satisfied smile.
How could he get splashed with oil when he was so far away from the pot? Qi Zui, who was right next to the gas stove, should be the one who's more worried, right?
The man skillfully stir-fried the food, sprinkling on various seasonings, unlike Wen Xubai who had been glancing at the recipe every two steps and searching on Baidu every three steps while cooking, and even occasionally flipping the wok, giving him a smug smile after succeeding.
Wen Xubai shook his head helplessly, but a faint smile couldn't help but appear on his lips.
The man was indeed quick; in less than an hour, a delicious and visually appealing meal of "three dishes and a soup" was served.
"Let's eat." Qi Zui ripped off his apron, neatly folded it, and put it aside.
Hearing the commotion, Wen Xubai came over and, looking at the table full of "delicious food," actually felt a bit hungry.
Wen Xubai didn't hesitate, pulling out a chair and sitting down. He picked up a piece of "braised pork with asparagus," made from the leftover asparagus he had cooked. It was glossy, but not greasy at all; the flavorful seasonings made it incredibly tender and delicious…
"How is it?" Qi Zui looked at him nervously.
"It's delicious." Wen Xubai nodded.
"Yes!" Qi Zui raised his fist and struck a "victory" pose.
Then he sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and first grabbed a large chicken leg, stuffing it into Wen Xubai's bowl. "You're too thin, eat more."
Wen Xubai hesitated for a moment before taking the chicken leg, which was almost as thick as his wrist. He was a little unsure how to eat it, but he couldn't resist Qi Zuisheng's expectant gaze, so he had no choice but to bite into the big chicken leg.
Instantly, Wen Xubai's mouth was filled with the aroma of meat, and he couldn't even speak.
Qi Zui smiled with extreme satisfaction, as if seeing his picky child finally start eating heartily, before he began to pick up his chopsticks.
The two were truly hungry. Unlike Wen Xubai's elegant demeanor, Qi Zui ate with great gusto, seemingly unconcerned about the opinions of others, focusing intently on shoveling rice into his mouth.
So much so that even as the meal was nearing its end, the two remained silent.
It wasn't until he finally felt a bit full that Wen Xubai regained some clarity and was able to think about serious matters.
He poked at the last bit of rice in the bowl, seemed lost in thought for a while, before casually asking, "Do you usually cook at your house?"
"Yes," Qi Zui said frankly, his mouth full, making his words a little unclear.
Upon hearing this, Wen Xubai paused, and only continued after the other person had swallowed the food in their mouth, "How old were you when you started learning to cook?"
"How old?" Qi Zui was stunned for a moment, then thought for a moment, "Eight years old...? Or nine years old...? I forgot, it was too long ago."
Wen Xubai was somewhat surprised, not expecting that Qi Zui would start cooking at such a young age.
"And what about your parents?" he asked, puzzled.
Qi Zui shrugged and said nonchalantly, "You already know about my dad's situation. When I was little, my mom was busy with work and it was common for her to not come home for two or three days. Every time she came back, she would leave some food and some change, and I would use that money to buy things to eat in the alley."
"But I didn't have much money. If I ate out every day, I would starve to death in less than a week! So I had to figure out how to cook for myself. Look, I've become a self-taught master!"
He raised an eyebrow at Wen Xubai, smiling smugly, but Wen Xubai felt uncomfortable inside.
"So...did you grow up in Huaihua Lane?" Wen Xubai asked in a low voice.
"I don't remember." Qi Zui shook his head. "I've been in Huaihua Lane since I was a child. As for anything before I was six, I don't remember anything."
Wen Xubai was startled. Shouldn't a normal child start developing consciousness around the age of three?
Qi Zui noticed his confusion, so he picked up another piece of chicken for him and explained, "When I was six or seven years old, I had a high fever that lasted for two days and two nights. My mother was working outside and not at home. It was the owner of the noodle shop who noticed that I hadn't come to him for food for a long time and realized something was wrong, so he called the police. When the police kicked down the door, they found me on the verge of death."
Wen Xubai's heart skipped a beat, and he silently lowered his head.
Qi Zui pursed his lips and said, "Luckily, I didn't get brain damage from the fever, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see me now."
He still has the mind to joke around at a time like this.
Wen Xubai asked helplessly, "What about your school? Doesn't it have a cafeteria?"
He asked casually, but to his surprise, Qi Zui's smile, which had been on his face, froze for a moment.
Just as he was puzzled, Qi Zui smiled bitterly and sighed, "Where would I get the money to study? I dropped out of high school."
Wen Xubai was truly stunned. He never imagined that Qi Zui hadn't even finished high school. After all, in their minds, education was of paramount importance, and many parents would even sell their possessions to send their children to school.
Wen Xubai's mind went blank for a moment, then started racing, racking his brains for something to comfort the other person. But he wasn't good with words, and after searching his mind for a long time, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Have you ever thought about... going back to school?"
This time, Qi was the one who was most stunned.
He pointed to himself incredulously, his eyes flickering, but the next second, he gave a wry smile and said to him, "Forget it, I'm not like you, smart. With a brain like mine, I probably couldn't learn anything even if I studied..."
Wen Xubai frowned. He didn't like people belittling themselves. He was about to continue persuading them when Qi said in a low voice, "Besides... studying is so expensive... I don't know how long it will take to save enough money..." He stuffed a mouthful of rice into his mouth.
"I'll pay for it for you," Wen Xubai said calmly.
The air froze for a few seconds after he said that. Qi Zui's eyes widened instantly as he stared at him in shock: "Are you serious?!"
Wen Xubai nodded.
Qi Zui immediately shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.
"Why?" Wen Xubai asked, frowning.
After a moment, he thought it might be because of the debt, so he added, "You don't need to pay it back."
To everyone's surprise, Qi Zui shook his head even faster, pointing at the two of them and saying, "That's even more unacceptable! We're friends, and I... don't want to owe a friend a favor..."
"Besides... if I go to school, who will help out at the noodle shop, and who will take care of my mother...?" he said in a barely audible voice.
"Don't you blame your mother?"
"What?"
"She became your mother, but she didn't fulfill her parental duties. Don't you blame her?"
“I don’t blame her.” Qi Zui quickly shook his head. “You said it yourself, she’s my mother. It’s already incredibly difficult for her, a frail woman, to raise me, a child like her. I can understand her…”
Wen Xubai fell silent, lowered his head, and his fingers under the table gradually tightened as he fell into deep thought.
Qi Zui quickly changed the subject, saying, "Stop talking about me, let's talk about you too. To be honest, I've always been curious. You don't seem like someone who's short of money, so why are you living in Huaihua Lane? And after you left the bar last time, did you find a job? Where are you working?"
He bombarded him with a series of questions. After thinking for a moment, Wen Xubai chose the last one and slowly said, "Wen's Group."
"The Wen Group?!" Qi Da exclaimed in surprise. "That super-rich one?"
After thinking for a while, Wen Xubai felt that the Wen family truly deserved the title of "extremely wealthy," so he nodded.
Qi Zui clicked his tongue in admiration: "Then your job must have excellent benefits."
Wen Xubai suddenly looked up at the person in front of him who was sitting with his legs crossed and rubbing his chin, and asked, "Qi Zui, have you ever thought about what you would do if you suddenly became very rich one day?"
The other person was startled by his sudden use of his name, and upon hearing the question, he was completely bewildered. After thinking for a long time, he finally said, "If I were very rich...? Then I would buy all the most delicious and expensive things in the world! Oh right, I would also take my mom abroad to broaden her horizons!"
Seeing his "ambitious" look, Wen Xubai was speechless.
Why can't you think about anything but eating and playing?
Qi Zui, however, seemed completely oblivious. Suddenly remembering something, he slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, you know what? I actually had a dream when I was little! I dreamt that I was the eldest son of a super rich family, and I had everything done for me! Those days, tsk tsk, were so comfortable!"
He talked on and on, completely oblivious to the other person's piercing gaze, until finally, when he scratched his head, his mouth dry, and chuckled awkwardly, "But it's just a dream. People still have to live in reality."
“Yes, we have to live in reality…” Wen Xubai’s eyes dimmed.
The two then chatted about other trivial topics, without ever returning to the topic, as if their previous conversation had been nothing more than casual remarks.
After the meal, Qi Zui wanted to help him wash the dishes, but Wen Xubai immediately refused.
The other person grabbed the dishes, arguing that since he had already cooked, it was his responsibility to wash them. This seemingly reasonable reason was used to justify their actions.
Qi Zui was initially surprised by Wen Xubai's firm attitude and lack of any intention to back down, but he immediately expressed his understanding, after all, Wen Xubai was the master. So he simply chose to "obey the arrangement".
Thinking that it was getting late and it wouldn't be good to stay at the other party's house for too long, Qi Zui smiled and said goodbye to Wen Xubai.
After that tall figure disappeared at the end of the stairs, Wen Xubai's eyes instantly darkened.
Put on gloves, turn around and walk into the kitchen, put the chopsticks that had just been placed in the dry sink into the transparent bag that had been prepared beforehand, and carefully seal the opening.
Then he walked out of the living room again, opened the door, and handed it over to Tan Yu, who had been waiting outside for a long time.
Tan Yu, wearing a black baseball cap, was huddled in a corner of the stairwell, his all-black clothes blending into the dark corridor.
Upon seeing Wen Xubai, he lowered his baseball cap and gave him a slight smile: "Boss."
Wen Xubai handed the items to him calmly, his voice icy: "Send the results directly to my email address once they're out."
After saying that, he added in a deep voice, "Never delegate the task to others; make sure the result is... completely correct."
"Don't worry, boss, leave this to me. I'll definitely handle it perfectly!" Tan Yu slid two gloved fingers across his forehead and smiled nonchalantly.
He then took the bag, put it into the "preservation bag" in his arms, his eyes gleaming as he quickly surveyed his surroundings before disappearing in an instant.
Wen Xubai leaned against the door, and finally, as if all his strength had been drained, he slowly slid down to the ground, his head throbbing.
Could it really be you?
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